Individuals frequently record their thinking in a visual way, in the form of drawings and sketches on a whiteboard or piece of paper, frequently in a group setting. Such recordings are captured in a static format, and difficult to memorialize in a way that can be easily manipulated to add new formatting, record a new thought, correct misinterpretations, or evolve over time.
Current digital conversion of previously composed, static images including printed, scanned, hand drawn or non-digitally rendered images provides copies of the images in formats such as bitmap, JPEG, TIFF, PNG, GIFF, RAW, WEBP and other formats. These images are resolution dependent, preventing the scaling of the images without loss of quality. Vector formats such as CGM, Gerber, SVG, Adobe Illustrator and the like contain a geometric description which can be rendered smoothly at any desired scale; however, even these images must be rasterized to be displayed on digital monitors. Errors in the digital images cannot be easily corrected, and when scaled, become more apparent.
Along with scaling issues, the content of the reproduced image cannot be easily changed or manipulated. Layers may be applied over the digitized image, but there are limits as to how much can be accomplished. For example, if a page is scanned in at a slight angle, it is difficult, if not impossible, to right the image until it is square on the screen. If material is added to the image, or parts of the image are rearranged, it is difficult to have clean breaks, smooth edges, or match font sizes and colors. There is limited compatability between drawing programs so that frequently the only way to correct or alter an image such as a diagram is to rewrite it completely. There is therefore a need for a means to read static image formats and convert them into editable images.
Along with scaling issues, the content of the reproduced image cannot be easily changed or manipulated. Layers may be applied over the digitized image, but there are limits as to how much can be accomplished. For example, if a page is scanned in at a slight angle, it is difficult, if not impossible, to right the image until it is square on the screen. If material is added to the image, or parts of the image are rearranged, it is difficult to have clean breaks, smooth edges, or match font sizes and colors. There is limited compatability between drawing programs so that frequently the only way to correct or alter an image such as a diagram is to rewrite it completely. There is therefore a need for a means to read static image formats and convert them into editable images.
Along with scaling issues, the content of the reproduced raw image cannot be easily changed or manipulated. Layers may be applied over the digitized raw image, but there are limits as to how much can be accomplished. For example, if a page is scanned in at a slight angle, it is difficult, if not impossible, to right the raw image until it is square on the screen. If material is added to the raw image, or parts of the raw image are rearranged, it is difficult to have clean breaks, smooth edges, or match font sizes and colors. There is limited compatability between drawing programs so that frequently the only way to correct or alter a raw image such as a diagram is to rewrite it completely. There is therefore a need for a means to read static raw image formats and convert them into editable images.